Best Mobile Phones for Kids in Australia

There’s no point fighting it. Sooner or later, your kid is going to want a phone. Starting out, you can get away with a feature phone (read: “dumb phone”) that doesn’t have internet connectivity but does have great durability and battery life. Alternatively, opt for a kids' smartwatch or wearable tracker.

And when they reach smartphone age, the Motorola Moto E32 is our pick thanks to a great mix of a great price, decent performance, fantastic battery life, and some okay front-and-rear cameras.

While the plastic back of the Moto E32 doesn’t feel as great as the glass or aluminium backs of pricier flagship smartphones, your kid shouldn’t have to worry too much about cracks or scratches with this phone. Granted, every new phone should go in a case, if only to better protect the all-important touchscreen.

The other bit on the back of the handset we like is a triple-camera stack, which offers good versatility for budding smartphone photographers. Performance-wise, the Moto E32 isn’t the speediest, but it’s fast enough for a first smartphone user who isn’t into multitasking.

What we really like about the Moto E32 is its 5,000mAh battery capacity. This translates to up to two days of regular use which, importantly, means your child is more likely to be contactable even if they forget to recharge overnight.

You can buy the Moto E32 outright for under $200, then pair it with a cheap prepaid mobile plan (like one of the popular picks below).

While there are some great parental control apps out there, another way to not have to worry about them at all is to get a kid-friendly phone that minimises the smart functionality. The Nokia 225 4G isn’t quite a feature phone, but it is a cheap way to stay in touch with your kids.

It’s best treated as a good choice for a first phone, alongside the Optus X Lite 4G below, intended for calls and texts only. The 2.4-inch screen and physical buttons are a good match for young eyes and smaller digits, plus the Nokia 225 4G boasts up to 24 days of standby battery life.

For homes with multiple kids, the Nokia 225 4G has a replaceable battery, which means it can be paid forward to younger siblings (assuming it’s unlocked). It’s a lightweight handset that’s easy to use, too.

Given the minimal data connectivity, you can pair it with a cheaper prepaid mobile plan. Check out some popular picks below.

We don’t particularly mind that the Optus X Lite 4G is locked to the Optus network by default, given the network’s reach (wider than Vodafone) and competitive pricing (compared to Telstra). The fact it’s a 4G handset also means there’s future-proofing, given that 3G is being phased out in Australia.

By far the biggest selling point for the Optus X Lite 4G, though, is it has standby battery life for up to seven days. Pair that with a removable battery, and the future-proofing improves a couple of notches.

As you’d expect from entry-level pricing, the Optus X Lite 4G does have limited functionality, but the physical buttons and 2.4-inch display are a great starting place for kids.

You’ll need to pair the Optus X Lite 4G with an Optus plan, and you can see some of the popular prepaid options below.

We like that you can get a decent smartphone in the Realme C21 for under $200. This makes it a good choice for your tween’s first foray into the land of smartphones. Expect decent performance except for busy multitaskers, and a generously sized 6.5-inch display.

The two-day battery life means the Realme C21 can leave home at around half capacity and make it through the day. While the camera will struggle to compete with more expensive competitors, the triple-lens stack on the back and selfie cam on the front make for decent photographic results.

We also like that storage upgrades are a MicroSD card away. Your kid shouldn’t expect the best gaming performance from the Realme C21, but that might not be the worst thing.

Consider pairing the Realme C21 with one of the popular prepaid plans below.

It’s a shame that the Oppo A54s has ditched the 90Hz refresh rate of its predecessor for a standard 60Hz, but that’s not enough to tarnish the A54s as a recommendable smartphone upgrade. For starters, your kid should appreciate the decent photographic results.

Importantly, like the other phones on this page, the Oppo A54s has great battery life, measuring in at up to two days. We also like that it comes with USB-C charging, which is more likely to be compatible with other smartphones and smart devices in the home.

Too much multitasking leads to some noticeable performance lag, but that’s true of most phones at this price point.

Pair the Oppo A54s with a prepaid plan, like one of the popular picks below.

According to Opel, the company conducted research and built the Opel Mobile SmartKids Phone to address three parental concerns for kids with phones: sharing personal information online, screen time, and use of unsuitable apps. Unlike the average Android phone, which needs parental options activated in settings and via third-party apps, the Opel Mobile SmartKids Phone makes this process more straightforward with controls that can be implemented remotely via an app on Mum or Dad's phone.

Given its low price point, don't be expecting flagship-level performance. The SmartKids phone can be a little slow at times, but hey, teaching children patience isn't necessarily a bad thing, either.

All you need to do is grab a prepaid plan (like one of the popular picks below) and pop your SIM in.

According to ACMA research, just under half of kids aged 6 to 13 use phones and a third have their own phone. When your child gets to the age that you determine they can have a phone, it’s good to know there are affordable feature phones to start that journey and stay in touch.

As kids grow up and it becomes more appropriate for them to have a smartphone, you don’t have to opt for a flagship Android or iPhone smartphone to give them access to great battery life, decent photography and a range of apps. The Motorola Moto E32 is a good mix of all of those elements, but you can just as easily opt for the other options on this page instead.

We make our picks based on our extensive experience with feature phones and smart phones, research, as well as deep knowledge of Australian prepaid plans. While it would be easy to just recommend cheap smartphones, we appreciate that feature phones have a place for younger mobile phone users.

To make our picks, we draw on our own hands-on experience or analyse reviews from reputable Australian sites, as well as feedback from user reviews. First and foremost, a mobile phone for kids has to have great battery life, and we treat up to two days of battery life as the minimum.

Price is absolutely important, especially because the cost of a mobile phone has to then be paired with the ongoing cost of a phone plan, so we keep our recommendations under $300 to buy a handset outright. While feature phones are a great way to keep your kids safe from the wild World Wide Web, these phones also tend to lack handy components like GPS tracking, Wi-Fi and apps for managing parental controls.